The Wrong Time
by Pam Marks
Summary: Tommy gets himself in to a bit of trouble
1. Default Chapter

**Disclaimer:**The Power Rangers are not mine and so forth and so forth.   
**Authors Note:** This is the prologue to an upcoming story that I am currently working on. I hope you like it and please review if you want to see more of this story.   
**P.S.:** A lot of thanks and a lot of love go out to my girls Jacks and Rene for there help on this story. 

**The Wrong Time**

**By: Pam Marks**

I have not spoken in about a year now. Why? Well I really can't tell you. It's not as though I have forgotten how to speak; it's just what's the point of talking when no one around you is going to listen to what you have to say? Plus, I have also learned that you learn a lot more about your surroundings and the people you are around when you don't talk. In fact I don't even remember what my voice sounds like it's been so long since I've used it. 

Am I crazy? Maybe, the jury is still out on that one. Staring up at the dingy ceiling of the hotel room that I am calling home for a night I idly trace the censor embedded in my ear, a permanent reminder of who I belong to. I can remember brighter days though before the events of the past year happened. I remember my mom and how her witty humor always made me smile. I remember my dad and how he always seemed to say the right things at exactly the right times. I remember my friends and how they always seemed to make me feel special by doing nothing at all but just being there. I remember our lazy days by the lake and in the park. I remember the feeling I used to get whenever I saw one of them smile at me. Sighing heavily, I roll over on my side on the uncomfortable bed, as those bright days seem so far away in this dark place. I am not the same boy I was in those memories and even I am not as naïve as to think that I can ever be that boy again. Too much has happened over the past year for any trace of that boy to be seen any where inside me now. 

Cold hands are going down my boxers as if from out of nowhere but I know he was there the whole time watching and waiting for just the right time to pounce. I shiver as the hands slide my boxers down and off before striping me of my tee shirt. I roll over on my stomach as the hands urge me that way and I bite my lip as he crawls on top of me slowly like a cat observing his pray before going in for the kill. My tears have long since stopped and I merely stare at the red digits on the clock beside the bed with lifeless eyes as he starts to consume me with a fire that I have felt many times over the past year. I let a small whimper of pain escape me, he's hurting me, burning me, shouldn't I tell him? Shouldn't I cry out for him to stop? No, what would the point of that be? He wouldn't listen to me anyway, he never did. 


	2. Starting At The Begining

**Disclaimer -** I don't own um, just like to play with their lives...play, screw up... call it what ya want. 

**Summary -**Lets go back to when it all started shall we? ****

Special Thanx -A special thanks goes out to my wonderful co author who I love and adore because she can actually put up with me, Rene. 

**Starting at the Beginning**

Tommy

(3 years ago, New York City) 

_~I'm not exactly sure why I'm writing this, or what I think I'm going to accomplish by writing it, but the fact of the matter; is I don't care about either one of those things. I'm tired and stressed and hungry and just ready to fucking kill someone, so I'm writing out all my frustrations because Alley (the most awesome street chick alive) told me it was a good idea.~_

Pausing I read over that last line again. Alley, man is there anything I don't do that she tells me. Well not that I'm really complaining, she is my best friend, I don't know what I'd do without the saucy brunette in my life. Probably go insane. Placing the pen back on the paper I try to get this done as soon as possible, I have a job to do to night; one that I'm not proud of at all, but it's gotta be done. Thus why I'm writing this. I guess I figure if I see how shitty things are on paper and that I have no other choice tonight then it'll give me that last little bit of courage to do it. __

~I guess things have never been what you can call 'good'. I mean some days are better then others, but most are worse. I guess that's kind of my fault too. See my mom got pregnant by my dad (some white man as she calls him to her friends) in this affair that shamed her in the eyes of our...well her family and husband. I guess I can't say they're mine because I've never met any of them. How do ya like that? 14 years old and I never even met my grandparents. I did see their picture once though, but what can you really tell from a picture? But then that's more than I can say for my dad. Never seen a picture of him and for that matter I don't even know his name, my mom won't tell me. Anyway, I'm getting off track here and I'm burning day light so I'd better hurry because I've gotta go soon. 

Her husband (not my dad) found out I wasn't his kid, this is a real kick how too, it was my fault. I didn't look anything like him, I mean I know what you're thinking, how can you tell with a baby? But when your parents are both full- blooded Cherokee and you're as pale and small as a newborn white kitten it looks a tad suspious I guess. So what does she do? She fesses up to having this one night fling and then says what's done is done. She's sorry but she's not giving me up because it's not my fault. (Though she sure as hell acts like it is these days). 

So he divorces her with the support of her family on his side too! Can you imagine that?! Her parents agreed that he should divorce her and keep David! Oh David, well David is my half brother I guess. I don't really know, I've never seen his picture either and I've only heard about him when I was listening to my mom tell her friend next door one night. So anyway I'll get to the beginning of the mess now since it's almost 5:00 p.m. and the club I have to go to opens at 7:00 p.m. 

So anyway , it all adds up to my mom and me for the past 13 and 1/2 years living in the worst possible part of NY. Times are not good here and it didn't take too long for my mom to go into her 'sad time' as I used to call it when I was younger. Now I know better. She's depressed and not just a little; she's getting sick from it. Well okay not getting more like got, she's been in her slump for nearly six years now and I guess it's because it's been going on so long that I didn't notice she was getting worse.~ 

I hear a noise in the other room that jars my attention away from the letter, I get up from the kitchen table and head for my mom's room to check on her. She was supposed to be sleeping; I gave her two of the sleeping pills that doctor at the hospital prescribed. Peering into the dim room, I watch her turn a bit fretfully on the bed. Still asleep, that's good. 

As my eyes catch the bandages on her wrists I suddenly feel a spark of anger flare up. You just had to make things harder didn't you mom, s'not enough we have no money, but now this. You're the reason I have to go out there tonight and... No. No point in getting upset, it'll do no good and it won't change anything. I think I'll go back and write a little more before I go. 

_~ I'm mad. I just went to look at my mom and I couldn't help but get mad. It's not fair, I'm supposed to be the kid, not her, but then I guess I should be used to everything by now. See I kind of had to grow up fast when my mom started 'slipping'. By the time I was 9 I could fight just a good as the older boys (That was partly thanks to Alley, got to love her). But see at that time my mom wasn't so far gone like she is now. She was working, not much, but working and providing for us with her night job at a diner a few blocks away. She even seemed to like it ok too. But then of course things got worse when I was 12, (god that was only 2 years ago too feels like forever) and she quit her job. Not all at once I mean, but she'd just kind of not get up and go there some days, then some turned into more, then to a lot, then to just not going all together.~_

Rubbing my eyes, I glance at the clock again. God it's almost twenty to six, I'm going to have to go soon. There's that sick feeling again. 

_~ Anyway so when I was 12 I was old enough to know we needed money and if my mom wasn't going to get it I'd have too. So I lied about my age and got a job at the comic book store on 5th street. I actually think the owner knew I was lying, I mean I definitely do not look old for my age. If anything starving and puppy faced, I looked younger. But I guess the guy felt sorry for me and so he let me go ahead and get it. S'not hard, I just have to stock the shelves and check out the occasional customer. I usually even have time to do my homework when it's slow (which is always). _

Oh, yeah I go to school too. I have to. And no not because of my mom, I doubt she even thinks I'm in school, but I go everyday. If I'm ever going to get out of this hell hole and get my mom some place better then I have to go and get good grades so I can get a scholarship into college (cuz no way I can pay for college) so I make sure I go everyday, no matter how tired I am and make sure I keep my grades really good. I am going to get us out of here; I swear that. 

Oh god it's 6 now. I need to go. So I'm just going to sum it up and explain the really bad thing. Because that was the main point of writing this I think. Okay so things went the same for two years. I went to school, worked at the comic book store, paid the bills (thank god there aren't many) and used the rest of the cash for food (thank god my mom doesn't eat much). It's depressing but not horrible, it's one of those things where as long as everything goes smoothly you know it'll be all right, not great, but good enough to get by. Of course then it happened. 

Two days ago I came home from school like always, changed clothes and was getting ready to go to work. Nothing new. So anyway, I went to tell my mom that I was going to be home late that night cuz I'd planned to stop and see Alley after work (her parents are fighting again and she wanted some company)...Getting off again, okay point. So when I wentinto her bedroom expecting her to be layen up in bed like always, I nearly had a fucking heart attack when I saw her sitting in a chair slicing her fucking wrists open! 

I screamed and cursed , then rushed her and took the knife (which I'm sorry to say was mine) and grabbed it just in time to be too late. She'd slit both her wrists open and the bleeding was...god like I don't know; but there was so much blood! So she just went kinda limp. I grabbed some towels and wrapped them around her wrists praying it'd stop the bleeding until I could get a doctor. I rushed out of the building (well as much as I could trying to drag her dead ass weight) and flagged a cab. 

Okay Alley just showed up. I asked her to come over and watch my mom when I go out tonight to do...well what I have to do. So I'll be brief now. To sum it up, they rushed my mom to the ER, I bawled like a two year old the whole time (can't even remember crying before that). After a while the Doc came back and told me that she would be okay. Then he gave me this look and asked how old I was. Well duh if I said fourteen, he was gonna have me in foster care so fast it would have made me barf, and so I lied and said eighteen and then he threw me for another loop and asked about our insurance. Well I don't know if you know this but comic book shops don't exactly give health coverage. So I said I'd pay for it out of our savings (which duh we have none) and he nodded and left me alone. 

So that's basically what led to tonight. See cuz this morning I sat down and added the fucking bill and you want to know the money damage my mom's little knife happy trip did? 2,000 fucking dollars! If I had 2,000 dollars do you think I'd have less then five pairs of clothes to wear and eating little more then canned Ravioli and bread every day? So anywho, that's why I'm going out tonight. See I thought it through, from like every way possible and this is the only way I can see to get the money (well short of robbing a bank) I'm gonna go to the night club 'Heat' tonight and make the money. Now if you (whoever is reading this) don't know what 'Heat' is big for, it's prostitution. Female and male. Yeah, so that's why I'm kind of shaking like a rabbit on speed.~ 

"Tommy." A gentle hand touches my shoulder, and I turn and look up at Alley. The tough girl who taught me how to fight, do math, cheat at pool and cards, and not to mention fuck, looks down at me for the first time in what I think is worry. "Listen Falcon, I know that yer kind of outta options but I'm not so sure this is the best idea." 

Staring down at the pen scribbled pages I sigh. "I don't have a choice. I have to do this, there's no other way to pay this bill and if it's not paid..." If it's not paid then what? Then your mom goes to the Looney bin and you go live with some church loving freaks in Ohio. 

Shaking her head, she grabs a seat and begins reading over the pervious pages I've written. "You didn't write much about me, smart ass." Grinning a little, she looks up at me and waves the pages. 

What was I suppose to say? I wish you would see me exclusively; I would marry you if we both were under better circumstances? You're like the best friendslash girlfriend I never had. Cut the crap, I gotta think clearly right now Alley Cat. "Too wound up to go into poetry for ya tonight Alley Cat." 

"Yeah...Again, I don't know if this is th-" I can't hear this, if she talks me out of it I'm doomed. 

"Don't. Please don't give me any more to worry about. I'm not exactly a virgin you know." And you should know, you were my first. "And it might not be so bad. I mean...look I can't get the money any other way and we both know it. I have to do this." Looking anywhere but at her, I can just hope she'll let it go. 

"Okay. I don't think it's very smart, but I said I'd stay here and watch your mom for you and let you do what you have to do, and I will. Just be careful, Falcon. Alright?" Picking up the pages I've written she stacks them neatly. No doubt she'll read them once I'm gone. 

Standing, I decide it's time to go. "I will. Don't wait up...and don't worry, I'll be alright." Crossing the room I give myself one last look in the mirror. Earlier I'd changed out of my baggy jeans and green T-shirt into a pair of holey tight black jeans and a green muscle shirt. Not that I really have many muscles to show off, but it works. Sliding on my black leather jacket that Alley had 'bought' me for Christmas last year, I take my hair out of the ponytail holder, which barely holds it anyway. Running my fingers through the semi long brown hair I sigh. . 

"Somewhere between oozing sex appeal and innocent lamb going to slaughter." The joke is meant to be light, but it falls rather flat in my nervousness. 

"Perfect, just the look I was going for." 

To be continued........... 


	3. Under Arrest

****

Disclaimer - I don't own um, just like to play with their lives...play, screw up... call it what ya want. ****

Summary - Lets start at the beginning shall we? ****

Special Thanx -Special thanks goes out to my new co-author on this series Rene the crazy one.... but then again I'm crazy so I can't talk all that much.... Pam I told you to stop pouring battery acid on Tommy and laughing! 

****

Under Arrest 

Daniel

(3 years ago, New York City) 

Leaning against the table, I eye the crowd like a hawk. The whole damn place should be arrested; I mean everyone in here's a hooker, a minor, a thief, or an accomplice to one of the above. Oh wait I take that back there are also two under cover cops. Looking across the table at my partner Larry Steinberg, I try to push the headache that's been surfacing all night away. I am so not in the mood for this tonight. 

"Hey Daniel, got your prospect." Looking up to where Larry's eyes have gone, I see the kid he means the second he's through the door. 

"God, they get younger and younger don't they. Look at him he can't be more then fourteen, fifteen at most." It's true the kid may be trying to put on a bad-boy appearance but his youth and innocence just takes it all away in a flash. He's nervous, I can tell he's nervous even from over here. 

As the boy in the green shirt and black jacket slowly crosses the room and takes seat at the bar I can't help but feel sorry for him. He's just a baby and he's out working a sleazy dive like this. Poor kid and to make things worse now I have to go arrest his ass. Suddenly Larry breaks through my thoughts with a snap of his fingers. "You okay there, Oliver? Not going soft are ya?" 

"No, just feel sorry for the kid. Makes you ask where the hell his parents are?" Though I kind of don't want to. Kid that young and that weary looking, his parents probably put him up to it. 

"Probably on drugs, or are hookers themselves." Larry's own voice drops into a more sympathetic level for a moment too. Yeah, you can be as tough as that kid's pretending to be but you know you feel sorry for him too. "Well, think of it like this, at least if he's down town he's not going to wind up getting killed or used tonight." Point taken. 

"Yeah." Taking one more drink of my barely touched beer, I get up. "Time to go rock his little world." Walking over to the bar I casually take a set next to the kid, who's now nursing a beer of his own. Where the hell are your parents, kid? 

"Hey there." The sudden voice in his ear makes him jump a foot in the air. Oh boy, wonder if this is his first time, most of the usual hookers don't look like a deer caught in the headlights when I say hi. 

Apparently trying to recover quickly, the kid offers me a less then easy smile. "Hi." Yeah, he's better off at the station, he'll get himself killed out here. Well time to go into the routine. 

"My name's Daniel and I was just wondering if I could buy you a drink." Voice smooth as slick, I wait for him to get a grip and accept or...or what, maybe get some sense and turn tail and run home. Assuming he has a home. 

After what I guess is a quick internal debate, he picks the wrong door. "Sure." Well kid, sorry, but you're in it now. As I order us both a shot of Jim Bean I take in his sudden paled face. Don't like the hard stuff, kid? Well if he doesn't drink it at least I know he's not too bad off, but then if he does it'll make the arrest easier. 

As the bartender pours our shots, I suddenly see his eyes light up a little. What's this now? Once the tiny glasses are full I pick mine up and watch as he does the same. "Bottoms up." Downing it quickly, I nearly miss it as the kid waits for what I guess he thinks as his one chance and tosses his shot to the floor. Pretty good timing too, had I tilted my head back a touch further I would have missed it and thought he'd drank it. Well that was just interesting, I think I'll keep this little game up for a bit. He's a pretty smart kid, not only did he not drink it, he found a cleaver way to make me think he'd be more helpless then he is. With a brain like that what the hell are you doing here? 

"Thanks." Turning his glass over on the bar, he seems to be eyeing me, perhaps wondering if maybe I caught his trick after all. When I give no indication that I had, he seems to relax a bit. 

"My pleasure." Snapping my fingers I signal the bartender to pour us two more. "So here I am buying you drinks and I don't even know your name. What is it?" Again I keep my voice smooth as silk. Gotta know how to play the game. 

Suddenly and without warning the kid begins cracking up. Did I miss the joke here? "What do you want it to be?" When I just give him a look that clearly says 'I don't get the funny' his laughter dies down a little and he pouts. Yes, he actually POUTS. Okay he's gotta be like fourteen. "Tommy, my name is Tommy. Geez haven't you ever seen Pretty Woman before?" The second it's out of his mouth I have a mental picture of Julia Roberts asking that millionaire the same question he'd asked me. 'What do you want it to be'. Well that's great, his entire knowledge of prostitution comes from a Julia Roberts flick and not a very good one at that, in my opinion. 

"Sorry, I'm not a big Julia Roberts fan." Heaving a sigh, I decide to give the kid one last chance. He seems like a sweet enough kid, so maybe it wasn't his idea to even be here. "You seem like a pretty good kid, so tell me, what's a nice, cute, decent kid like you doing in a place like this?" Come on tell me yer dad's an ass and sent you out here, send me to go arrest someone that deserves it. 

Eyes suddenly going pained and misty, I for a split second think he's going to spill his guts and tell me exactly that. He was forced to do this, maybe even his guardians are sitting around here watching him but then it only lasts a second and the mask is right back in place. "I'm not a kid first of all, far from it. But I am still young and I have to get my kicks while I still can." Then why do you look like you're about to throw up. Well, missed your chance, Tommy. I'm sorry, but maybe once you're at the station you'll feel more like telling the real reason. Alright, time to end this then. 

Moving my chair closer to him, I lay my right hand on his thigh and lean in. "Is that so?" When he looks ill again and says something that sounds like 'yeah' I have to fight to stay in character. "Well then, what do you say we get out of here and go some place a bit more private." Like the police station downtown. 

"Sure." Voice wavering just slightly, he stands up and we head out of the crowed bar. Larry's already outside, I know he's probably been waiting for me to get the kid out there for ten minutes now. Well these things take time. Once out of the stuffy place, I lead him over to the near by alley I'd already picked out when I'd arrived earlier tonight. Time to close the deal. 

Leaning him against the wall, I can see the spike of fear in his eyes now. Even in the dark, it's as clear as day. I'm sorry kid, but I'm now truly believing this is for your own good. "What do you charge for what?" 

Then there's a new look. That one that lets me KNOW he hasn't done this before. It's that clear-cut 'oh shit didn't think of that' look. Still, he's quick and recovers in a moment. "Uh..500 for a quick blow job or other and 1000 for the night." His face is an open book and right now it's saying 'Please god don't let him want me for the night'. Well sorry kid but that's exactly what it's gonna be. 

Leaning in I get right in his ear. "Hmm, well I think that...you're under arrest." Flashing my badge at him, I feel a little better when I see the spark of relief flood his eyes. Of course that doesn't last as I bring out my handcuffs to snap on his wrists. Out of the frying pan and into the fire, isn't that always the way it is. 

Suddenly snapping out of his shock a second before I can get the damn cuffs on him, he drop kicks me before I even know what hit me. Stumbling back more in surprise then pain, I unfortunately give the brat enough room to turn around and sidekick me this time. That's gonna leave a mark. Perhaps he was working on instinct, maybe not, but whatever it was he suddenly stops and seems to realize what he's just done. 

That's all the time I need to grab him again and pin him back against the wall. Too bad he's still facing me though. I guess it's my fault that just as I fumble the cuffs open and move to put them on him he has the opportunity to knee me in the crotch. Let me tell all you women out there, it hurts a fuck of a lot more then you can ever imagine. Just as I drop to the ground cursing and screaming does my partner decide to finally get his ass in gear and show up. 

"Freeze! Don't move!" Tommy's head shoots to the side just in time to see Larry rush at him, gun drawn I'm sure. Take your fucking sweet time, Larry. 

Looking down at me one more time, he mutters a fast 'I'm really sorry' before taking off down the opposite end of the alley. Yer gonna be sorry when I get a hold of you again but then that won't be tonight, as I watch the kid somehow manage to scale the fence at the end of the ally before Larry even reaches where I am, I know he's gonna get away. The boy reeks of street smarts, no one who's that quick is gonna get caught with that much of a head start. I will get him though, that's a promise. 

To be continued......... 


End file.
